Jeff for America

At some point during Oprah’s recent farewell saga, my mom sent me a text message.

“You’re an Oprah baby.”

It was one of those moments when my head actually pivoted, turning to the side. Huh? Perhaps her comma was missing.

“You’re an Oprah, baby.”

Maybe she had adopted Oprah’s name as a new brand of person. I was going to be the equivalent of Oprah one day? The thought has passed my mind a few times, so why not? But this was unlikely.

Then, in a matter of moments (it came and went quickly) I clung to the reality that perhaps my mother was, in fact, Oprah.

But alas, I was wrong on all counts. It didn’t take long to realize what she meant. Oprah’s first season on the air was the year I was born. The Oprah show followed soon after, on September 8th, just a few days before my birthday.

Aligning stars aside, my relationship with Oprah is strong. Anyone who knows me knows this. They can attest to my ongoing defense of her antics, my special edition DVD of her 20th anniversary (which, I might add, many people have borrowed over the years), and my fond recollection of her advice. I love her. I just do. I mean, I’m not alone, so it’s not as if I’m novel or anything. I just happened to develop a strong rapport with a television personality who happens to be really charismatic. Not out of the ordinary.

As a young kid growing up, I watched Oprah on a daily basis, coming home from school and hearing her listen to people’s stories, sometimes giving advice, but often just listening. I think I learned a lot from her. Empathy, compassion, emotional intelligence. She, along with my family, gave me a solid footing when it came to relationships with people. I saw people’s mistakes and triumphs on television and understood the importance of what she was doing for those people, and for me.

I was exposed to people’s stories from a young age and didn’t seem so surprised when the reality of adolescence set in. Divorce, poverty, coming out. All these challenges, wherever I saw them, were not unfamiliar or isolating. I had seen them all before and knew I was not alone in facing them. And that’s gotta be her appeal for most people. She made connections when we often are forced to do it alone, or not at all. For all that, I’m grateful she exists.  Like many historical figures of importance, Oprah isn’t perfect or alway right or a saint but I can take from her what is useful and leave the rest.

I haven’t watched her show in years. Since college, she has become just a portrait or headline, usually accompanied by a story about her give-aways or proclamations. But despite this distance, she has remained relevant.

I think of her, among others, whenever I’m faced with challenges. How would Oprah handle this? How would she react? I don’t really know, and don’t really care. I find the fact I’m even asking the question means I’m on the right track. If Oprah inspired anything in me, it was to think, to consider, to ponder.

- Jeff